1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a portable device, for example, a portable device used as a remote controller in a remote keyless entry system and the like of a vehicle such as an automobile.
2. Related Art
A remote keyless entry system is a convenient system for locking/unlocking the door, and the like without using a mechanical key by simply operating a push button of the remote controller (hereinafter referred to as portable device), where the portable device for the remote keyless entry system is generally arranged with a plurality of push buttons for various applications such as for locking/unlocking the door, and for opening/closing a slide door.
In this type of portable device, efforts have been made to avoid misoperations of the push button, and a portable device arranged with a “projection” between each push button is disclosed as one example in Design Registration No. 1221519.
FIGS. 9A and 9B show outer appearance views of a portable device of the related art. This figure corresponds to a “front view” and a “right side view” of Design Registration No. 1221519. A portable device 1 is configured to be arranged with a plurality of, or three herein, push buttons (hereinafter referred to as first push button 3, second push button 4, third push button 5) on a front surface of a small main body 2 suitable for carrying around. The first push button 3 is for locking the door, the second push button 4 is for unlocking the door, and the third push button 5 is for opening/closing the slide door.
In the portable device 1 of such configuration, one may open the slide door by mistake when intending to unlock the door if the push button is operated in a dark place, for example, at night. That is, one should push the second push button 4, but may mistakenly push the adjacent third push button 5.
In order to avoid such a drawback, in the related art, a horizontally long projection (hereinafter referred to as first projection 6, second projection 7) is arranged between the first push button 3 and the second push button 4, and between the second push button 4 and the third push button 5, respectively. Thus, when operating the push button in a dark place, one will first touch the first and second projections 6, 7 thereby understanding the positional relationship of the three push buttons (first push button 3, second push button 4, third push button 5), and then search for the target push button, thereby avoiding mistaken operation.
A longitudinal dimension X of the first and second projections 6, 7 is slightly smaller than a lateral dimension Y of each push button (representatively second button 4), and furthermore, the first projection 6 is positioned between two corners 3a on the lower side (each top, bottom, left, and right direction herein follows the direction of the drawing unless particularly stated) of the first push button 3 and two corners 4a on the upper side of the second push button 4, and the second projection 7 is positioned between two corners 4b on the lower side of the second push button 4 and two corners 5a on the upper side of the third push button 5. Thus, short projections (first and second projections 6, 7) of Y>X are arranged between the three push buttons (first to third push buttons 3 to 5), and each corner of the three push buttons (first to third push buttons 3 to 5) are arranged next to each other in an extra portion of Y-X, which is a demand in design to create “a sense of unity” on the three push buttons.